The High Cholestrol Overview

Cholestrol comes in too forms. The good HDL cholestrol looks like wax combined with fat, and is vital for many body parts like membranes, the brain, cell walls, muscles, liver, the heart, the intestines, nerves and the skin. This good waxy fat helps the body to produce Vitamin D, hormones and bile for fat digestion. Only low amounts are required to do the job. However, an excessive level of bad LDL cholestrol causes major health problems and diseases.

High cholesterol leaves a plaque-type build up inside arteries, veins and capillaries that can result in poor or now blood flow to vital organs and parts of the body, including the heart and brain. Coronary heart disease or CHD is a direct result of this pressure on the circulation system. It can also lower oxygen and nutrient supply to the heart.

Treatment of high cholestrol begins with special blood tests. It is important to know one’s overall cholesterol level, but this is just the start. Lipid profiling is done to analyze the LDL, overall cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides. Health experts recommend that adults have these tests done about every five years. In fact, they recommend that HDL, or good cholestrol levels should be 40 mg/dL or more. A HDL of 60 mg/dL can help to protect against heart diseases.

Sadly many people have above normal LDL levels and lower than normal levels of HDL. Some of this is born out of their diet, where they consume food rich in saturated and trans fats.

It is important to reduce LDL levels by taking the following life saving steps:

The American Heart Association has cookbooks that contain recipes that will lower high cholestrol levels. There are also others available through most hospital book stores.

As people get older their cholestrol levels increase naturally, putting them more at risk of heart disease. However, by following a healthy diet, regular exercise, keeping body weight down and stopping smoking, it is possible to lower cholestrol levels and avoid strokes and heart attacks.